GLASGOW — Scotland lost 1-0 to Japan in a friendly match at Hampden Park in Glasgow. The defeat came as head coach Steve Clarke continued to evaluate his squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup, using the fixture to test a different defensive formation and distribute playing time across his available options.

Clarke opted for a four-man defensive setup, positioning Jack Hendry and Scott McKenna as the centre-back pairing in front of goalkeeper Angus Gunn. Nathan Patterson started at right-back as part of the revised back line. In midfield, Lewis Ferguson and Kenny McLean both completed the full 90 minutes.

The friendly also marked an occasion for Findlay Curtis, who made his senior international debut after entering the match as a substitute. Curtis, who had been named in Scotland's squad for the friendlies against both Japan and Ivory Coast, played approximately 10 minutes in the fixture. He did not, however, appear in the subsequent friendly against Ivory Coast. Anthony Ralston also came off the bench to make a late substitute appearance against Japan.

Lennon Miller was another player included in Scotland's squad for the two-match friendly window against Japan and Ivory Coast. George Hirst played as a forward for Scotland in both fixtures during the international break. Grant Hanley did not feature in either of the two friendly matches.

Following the defeat to Japan, Clarke praised forward Tommy Conway for his contribution during the match.

"I won't get too carried away. Going into previous tournaments I've lost players to injury," Clarke said.

Scotland's opening match at the 2026 World Cup is scheduled against Haiti on June 14. The friendly window against Japan and Ivory Coast represented one of the final opportunities for Clarke to assess the depth of his squad and experiment with different tactical setups before making his tournament selections.